What is the TV Mounting Height Calculator?
This tool tells you exactly how high to mount your television so the center of the screen lines up with your eye level when you're sitting down — the position recommended by interior designers and AV installers for the most comfortable, fatigue-free viewing. Instead of guessing where to drill, you get the precise bottom-edge height of the mount in inches above the floor.
How to use it
Sit in your usual viewing spot and measure from the floor to your eyes — for most people this is 40–45 inches. Enter that as your seated eye level. Then enter the screen's vertical height (not the diagonal). Finally, add a tilt adjustment: if you're mounting higher than eye level (for example above a fireplace) and tilting the screen down, enter a positive number of inches to lower the center accordingly. Leave it at 0 for a flush, eye-level mount.
The formula explained
The math is simple: $$\text{Mount Height} = \text{Eye Level} - \text{Tilt} - \frac{\text{TV Height}}{2}$$. The center of the screen should sit at your eye level, so we subtract half the screen height to get the bottom edge, then subtract any tilt adjustment that intentionally shifts the center.
Worked example
Suppose your seated eye level is 42 inches and your TV screen is 27 inches tall with no tilt. Center height = \(42 - 0 = 42\) in. Bottom edge = $$42 - \frac{27}{2} = 42 - 13.5 = 28.5 \text{ inches}$$ above the floor. The top edge sits at \(42 + 13.5 = 55.5\) inches.
FAQ
What is screen height vs. screen size? The advertised size (e.g. 55") is the diagonal. For a 16:9 TV, the screen height is roughly the diagonal \(\times 0.49\). A 55" TV is about 27 inches tall.
How high should a TV be above a fireplace? Mantels often force a higher mount. Add a positive tilt adjustment and angle the screen down 10–15° to reduce neck strain.
Does this work in centimeters? Yes — the formula is unit-agnostic. Enter all values in centimeters and the result will be in centimeters.
